Entertainment
It's hard to believe, but we're already 3/4 of the way through 2018. In the dog days of heat and sun, January and its promise of an entire year's worth of anticipated films seems so very long ago, but there's no need to despair — there are plenty more movie nights coming up. And for those who want to get a jump on fall's chills, there's no better way than with some icy horror films to send shivers down your spine. Here are the 17 scariest movies out in 2018 so far and where to stream them, for your blood-curdling convenience.
It's a pleasant change to see that even the most slasher-centric offerings are becoming more female-driven, as shown with films like Hereditary and A Quiet Place. There's still a lot of work to be done in terms of equality on-screen, but just having more parity in seeing women on both sides of the knife is certainly a worthy development. For those unfamiliar with Men, Women, and Chain Saws, a book examining gender in horror films, it looks at the idea that horror is truly a women's genre because, not in spite of, women frequently being the victims, or in the case of Revenge, victims-turned-victimizers. That just makes the movies below all the more worth watching.
1
'Hereditary'
One of the year's most-talked about horror movies isn't much of a surprise if you're familiar with the genre, but is still filled with enough unnerving imagery to haunt you long after its ending.
2
'Revenge'
The rape-revenge film is a consistent and consistently maligned subgenre of horror, perfectly melding and subverting expectations on all sides into the uncomfortable experience of watching a woman brutally attacked, then becoming the attacker. Revenge is a sleeker recent entry, but doesn't skimp on the cruelty that makes these films so compelling and confusing to watch.
3
'Truth Or Dare'
The teen party staple takes a darker supernatural turn in this Mexican-set horror film, and things far worse than who's got a crush on who are revealed.
4
'The Lodgers'
A high-gothic horror centered around fraternal twins trapped in their crumbling familial mansion by spirits with particular rules, this atmospheric creeper will bring a chill to the warmest summer day.
5
'A Quiet Place'
Details about the creatures who've decimated the world are scant, but all you need to know is they can hear you. A family led by IRL couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt try not just to survive, but thrive in this terrifyingly limited world.
6
'Like Me'
When loneliness becomes too much to bear, a young woman sets off on a social media- shared crime spree, but her reality splinters off quickly as any comment stream.
7
'Mom And Dad'
Selma Blair and Nicholas Cage go all-out in this wild take on the "zombie" genre, where parents are infected by the sudden irresistible urge to murder their offspring.
Available to stream on Hulu.
8
'Devil's Gate'
An FBI agent dispatched to discover the whereabouts of a missing mother and son learn far darker secrets hiding in the farmhouse of a religious fanatic and main suspect (Milo Ventimiglia); he may actually be right about the demons he claims to see.
Available to stream on Hulu.
9
'The Devil & Father Amorth'
While not overtly terrifying as the other films on this list, this movie's horror is in its reality. From the director of The Exorcist comes a documentary following an actual exorcism from start to finish.
Available on Netflix
10
'Dark Crimes'
Jim Carrey plays a burnt-out, seen-it-all detective convinced an author is behind a gruesome unsolved murder after his latest novel details all the hidden elements of the case.
11
'Bad Samaritan'
A young valet breaks into the houses of the rich he works for, but when he finds a woman bound and gagged during his latest robbery, his attempts to help her put him in the crosshairs.
12
'The Endless'
Two brothers with very different views of their past receive a message from the UFO cult they escaped a decade ago. Neither is having success reintegrating into the regular world, though the older brother's belief that the cult will soon commit mass suicide is tempered by his younger brother's belief they're about to actually fulfill their mission.
13
'The Strangers: Prey At Night'
The masked trio are on the move in this sequel to The Strangers, as they set up and attack a family on vacation hoping to visit relatives at an eerily deserted trailer park.
14
'The Cured'
After a horrifying zombie plague sweeps the world, a cure returns about 75 percent of the infected population back to "normal". But what does that mean when the titular Cured can remember every horror perpetrated while infected? A dark metaphor for Ireland's current political situation as well as a questioning of our systems of justice.
15
'The Strange Ones'
In this eerie, dreamy film, two young men claiming to be brothers take a road trip across America, where hints of a darker relationship — and reality — emerge.
Available to stream on Hulu.
16
'Winchester'
Based on the actual Winchester Mystery House, this film takes a strong supernatural stance on what exactly motivated the widow Winchester to build... and build and build and build... her infamous mansion.
17
'Insidious: The Last Key'
The fourth film in the franchise takes paranormal investigator Elsie back to her roots, as she explores her own history with the supernatural in her childhood home.
Available to rent or buy on most streaming services.
Though these are the top terrifying movies so far, the year's not over yet. Be sure to check out the frightening fall films yet to come, and keep an eye out for future scares.
